From the World-Wide Resourses of the Western Australia
Reserch Senter(*)
		OIL THE NEWS THAT FITS MY VIEWS   #47
                ===============================
In the Run-Up to World War III, Reliably Reporting the News Relevant
to Extreme Right-Wing Democratic Socialists Everywhere
(validated for RiteThink(tm) by the Office of Our Man in Can-berra).

Visit Our Home Page At: http://www.chickenhead.com/loserscopes/
See the Undeniable Evidence At: http://www.evil-doers.org/evidence
This Stuff Blogged At: http://kymhorsell.blogspot.com/
Also Kindly Archived At: http://www.kymhorsell.com/OIL/ [No, not 203/8].
Iraqi Body Count: http://www.iraqbodycount.net/ [4,849+ as at 23 May 2003].

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Selecting latest news stories and other data for you...
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Wed, 21 May 2003.

Rebel fighting sees 230 killed in DRC: UN
Aceh attack continues, 17 reported dead
4 killed in military crash
Bomb blasts kill 4: Burma
US soldiers kill 3, wound 2 by mistake
Gaza Strip closure hampers UN work
Hijacked ship docks in Liberia
Bush appeals for terrorism crack-down
Bush appeals for crackdown on terrorists
US to review nuke weapon research
Senate scraps low-yield nuke weapons ban 
US to look at missile tech restrictions 
UNSC to hold further talks on new Iraq resolution
Annan says he'll move quickly on Iraq envoy 
Value of UN'S oil-for-food relief items for Iraq approaches $1 bn
US predicts UN support for Iraq plan 
US to give sanctions plan more thought
Iraqi oil chief tells of illegal sales
Iraq inspectors to search for missing nuke material
Mad Cow, Mad Cow, Mad Cow
Mad cow disease found in Canada
Cubans given life sentences for hijacking plane
ACM "appalled" at Woomera allegations
Port Hedland under-staffed, worker says
AUS govt issues Singapore travel warning
Spitters fined in Singapore
Dollar linked to euro fortunes
Clearing decisions pending on 1000s of Qld ha
Drought slashes AWB profit
Govt still to decide gun buy-back amount
More fishing boats seized off NT
Brits and Aussie wine
Continuous war news

Rebel fighting sees 230 killed in DRC: UN
NY.  UN observers say at least 230 people have been killed during
heavy fighting between rival rebel groups in the Democratic Republic
of Congo.  UN officials say most of the victims were civilians.  UN
workers say 100s of bodies have been recovered in the NE town of
Bunia.  The town has been under siege for several wks, during bitter
confrontations between ethnic militias.  Yesterday, the mutilated
bodies of 2 UN soldiers were also found on the outskirts of the town.
French military observers have arrived in Bunia to investigate the
possibility of deploying a multinat'l force.  UN secretary general
Kofi Annan is calling on the internat'l community to contribute to a
peace-keeping mission.  Up to 50,000 people have been killed in ethnic
unrest in the NE Democratic Republic of Congo since 1999.

Aceh attack continues, 17 reported dead
Canberra.  17 civilians are reported to have died in Aceh as the
Indonesian military enters its 3rd day of operations against
separatist rebels.  Troops have been told by their commander in chief
that the aim is to exterminate the guerilla fighters of the Free Aceh
Movement (GAM).  The 2 sides have engaged in numerous gun battles
across the province and around 200 schools have been torched.
Each side is blaming the other for the destruction.  The army says it
is quite clear GAM has carried out these attacks while GAM says it
would never attack a school, especially in its own villages.  In one
of the villages where a school was burning, the people trying to put
the fire out were calling out "freedom" to journalists, clearly ID
themselves as pro-separatist villagers.
It is difficult to say which side has carried out the attacks, however
it seems clear the campaign is broad and well orchestrated.
Meanwhile, For Affairs Min Alexander Downer has criticised Labor's
call for the Govt to speak out on Indonesia's crackdown against the
separatists.
Opp'n rep Kevin Rudd says Mr Downer should ask the UN to appoint
a mediator to try to end the conflict.  But Mr Downer says the
Opp'n is confused.  "You've got a situation where the Labor Party
tells the Govt to beat up on the Indonesians on the one hand, and the
other hand is always criticising us for not being close enough and
ingratiating ourselves enough to Jakarta."

Tokyo. 4 KILLED IN MILITARY CRASH!  A military aircraft has crashed
during a flight exercise at a base in S Japan, killing 4 crew members.
A Maritime Self-Defence Force rep says the U-36A training aircraft
crashed just before noon during takeoff and landing training at the
Iwakuni base, about 650 km SW of Tokyo.  Another rep says the plane
suddenly tilted sideways in a takeoff and crashed into a taxiway of
the adjacent US military base following several rounds of continuous
takeoffs and landings.

Bangkok.  BOMB BLASTS KILL 4: BURMA!  Thai officials say 4 Burmese
nat'ls have been killed in 4 separate blasts in Burma's border town
of Tachilek, opposite Mae Sai district in N Thailand.  Mae Sai
district chief Decha Satthaphol says the early-morning blasts occurred
6 to 20 km inside Burmese territory.  He says border crossings at the
Mae Sai-Tachilek checkpoint were suspended briefly as a result but
have resumed.  Decha says he believes Burmese officials are
investigating.

Kabul. US SOLDIERS KILL 3, WOUND 2 BY MISTAKE!  Afghanistan's head of
security Basir Salangi says US soldiers have mistakenly killed 3
Afghan soldiers and injured 2 others in from of the US embassy today.
He says American soldiers guarding the entrance to the US embassy
opened fire by mistake on a group of Afghan soldiers who were
unloading "material" [Aussie SBS TV says they were weapons] on the
other side of the road, in front of the Afghan security agency
building.  He says the Americans thought it was an attack attempt.  It
was all a big misunderstanding, he added.

Gaza Strip closure hampers UN work
NY.  The UN coordinator for the Middle E, Terje Roed-Larsen, says
the closure of the Gaza Strip by Israel is seriously hampering UN work
and it may have to reduce its operations there.  He says most people
in Gaza rely on UN agencies for health care, education and social
services.  Mr Larsen also says that if the closure continues, Gaza's
economy could be crippled.  "We have now about 75% of the population
living below the poverty level which is less than $US2 a day," he
said.  "We have (an) unemployment rate which is pushing 50 and I think
these figures alone show how terrible the situation is there and with
the total closure, no people, no goods going in and out, it makes a
bad situation worse."

Hijacked ship docks in Liberia
Monrovia.  A hijacked ship carrying up to 2,000 refugees has docked in
the Liberian capital of Monrovia.  Govt soldiers took control of the
vessel after heavy fighting with rebel troops.  The soldiers hijacked
the cargo ship nr the S port of Harper.  The 30 soldiers forced the
crew to return to shore to collect up to 2000 people who were trying
to flee fighting in the town.  The stranded civilians included 100s of
women and children.  The incident happened after rebels from the
Movement for Democracy in Liberia stormed the area and executed
several residents.  The vessel has now arrived in the capital Monrovia
after more than 2 days at sea.  The passengers are safe and well
despite food and water shortages on board the ship.  The 7 crew
members were also unharmed.

Washington. BUSH APPEALS FOR TERRORISM CRACK-DOWN!  US Pres Bush Jr
has directly appealed to the new Palestinian PM Abu Mazen to crack
down hard on terrorist attacks against Israel.  He also re-assured Mazen
during a 15 min telephone call that the US still intends to help create a
Palestinian state by 2005.  It was Bush's first contact with the new
PM, whose appointment gave the Bush admin a way to bypass Yasser
Arafat following a presidential boycott of the veteran elected
Palestinian leader.
[Following a similar phone call to the Israeli PM, a new incursion
into Beit Hanun was launched. Soldiers say they found 6 explosive
belts in the raid. The home of an al-Aqsa suicide bomber was also destroyed].

Bush appeals for crackdown on terrorists
Washington.  US Pres George W Bush has placed his 1st phone call to
Palestinian PM Abu Mazen appealing directly to him to crack down on
terrorists.  In the call, Whitehouse mouth Ari Fleischer says Mr Bush
repeated his commitment to the security of the state of Israel.  He
also told Abu Mazen he looked forward to meeting him personally.  The
rep says Mr Bush balanced his appeal for action against terror with an
assurance he also wanted Israel to take "concrete steps".  "The Pres,
as he evaluates the new leader of the Palestinian Authority, has high
hopes," Mr Fleischer said.  Mr Bush also telephoned Israeli PM Ariel
Sharon.  Mr Sharon was due meet Mr Bush tonight at the Whitehouse,
but postponed the meeting after a series of terrorist strikes in Israel.

Washington. US TO REVIEW NUKE WEAPON RESEARCH!  [While cracking down
on proliferation:] The US Senate has given its support to repealing a
decade-old ban on research into low-yield nuclear weapons that defence
officials say may be necessary to combat new security threats.  By a
vote of 51 to 43, senators last night rejected an amendment by Cal
Democrat Dianne Feinstein that would have kept the ban in place.  The
vote came amid debate on the 2004 Defence Authorisation Bill.  Several
provisions tucked inside the Bill have drawn fire from arms control
advocates.

Senate scraps low-yield nuke weapons ban 
Washington (AP).  The Senate agreed Tue to end a 10-yo ban on
research and development of low-yield nuclear weapons, rejecting
Democratic claims that lifting the prohibition would be a step toward
nuclear war.  A Democratic amendment to keep the ban was defeated in a
51-43 procedural vote. After the vote, Democrats were offering a
compromise that would allow research on the weapons to begin, but
prohibit their development.
The Bush Admin's request to lift the research and development ban is
part of a bill authorising $400.5 bn in 2004 defence programs. A vote
on the overall bill is expected this wk.  Low-yield weapons have a
blast equivalent to less than 5 kt, about a 3rd as large as the
bomb dropped on Hiroshima in World War II. Democrats say lifting the
ban would undermine US efforts to persuade other countries not to
develop their own nuclear weapons. They also say it would blur the
line between nuclear and conventional weapons and make it more likely
that a nuclear weapon might be used.
"This issue is as clear as any issue ever gets. You're either for
nuclear war or you're not. Either you want to make it easier to start
using nuclear weapons or you don't," said Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass.
"Is half a Hiroshima OK? Is a quarter Hiroshima OK? Is a little
mushroom cloud OK? That's absurd. The issue is too important. If we
build it, we'll use it," he said.
Advocates of lifting the ban say weapons could target enemies more
precisely while limiting deaths of civilians. They say such a weapon
could be used to destroy stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons
and avoid the kind of widespread contamination that might follow a
strike using conventional weapons with less destructive force.
"To stop research and development on a potential weapon that could
destroy a terrorist group or a rogue nation from creating a
chemical/biological capacity that's deep underground is illogical,"
said Sen Lindsey Graham, R-SC.
Def Sec Donald H Rumsfeld, at a news conference Tue, stressed that the
Pentagon wanted only to consider the weapons.  "It is a study. It is
nothing more and nothing less," he said. "And it is not pursuing. And
it is not developing. It is not building. It is not manufacturing. And
it's not deploying. And it is not using."
Democrats flatly rejected that.  "Just a study? Baloney," said
Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, pounding the podium. "Does anyone
really believe that?" She said repealing the ban "opens the door for
Americans to develop nuclear weapons again."
Sens voted mostly along party lines in defeating the Feinstein-Kennedy
amendment that would have preserved the ban.  The House version of the
defence authorisation bill also would remove the ban on research, but
not development, of low-yield weapons. House debate on the bill is
expected to begin Wed.
In both the House and Senate, Democrats will challenge provisions
easing environmental restrictions that the military says hinders its
training exercises.  House Democrats will try to stop Republicans from
giving the Defence Dept greater authority over more than 600,000
civilian employees.
The Pentagon said the changes would help it transfer non-combat jobs
from the military to civilian workers, make it easier to recruit new
workers and give it greater control over pay, promotions and
dismissals. Democrats say the changes would cost employees job
protections and were rushed through Congress without giving fed
workers the opportunity to comment on it.
"The process by which the civil service reform has been rushed to the
floor is nothing short of appalling," House Democratic Whip Steny
Hoyer of Maryland said at a news conference Tue.
The personnel changes are not in the Senate bill but could still be
added before the final vote.
In another change to the Defence bill, the Senate voted 85-10 to make
nat'l guard and inactive reservists eligible for the military health
insurance program TRICARE. Also reservists who pay for private
insurance for their families after being activated could be reimbursed
for insurance costs. The reservists themselves are covered by TRICARE
while on active duty.

US to look at missile tech restrictions 
Washington (AP).  The Bush Admin indicated Tue it was reviewing
whether stiff restrictions on missile-export technology should be
eased to make it easier to share US missile defences with friendly
nations.  Such a move could touch off a fierce policy debate in
Congress and drew immediate opp'n from arms-control advocates.
The proposal comes as the Admin updates its missile-defence strategy
to take into account recent developments in the war on terrorism.
"Hostile states, including those that sponsor terrorism, are investing
large resources to develop and acquire ballistic missiles of
increasing range and sophistication that could be used against the US
and our friends and allies," said a Whitehouse statement issued Tue evening.
In remarks that appeared directly primarily at N Korea, the statement
said, "Some states are aggressively pursuing the development of
weapons of mass destruction and long-range missiles as a means of
coercing the US and our allies."  The statement, prepared by the White
House Nat'l Security Council, reiterated Pres Bush's goal of having a
rudimentary missile-defence system in operation by next y, as well
as his hopes of eventually bringing key allies under such an
anti-missile shield.
Current regulations make it hard to share missile systems, parts or
technology with any but a handful of the nation's closest allies.
"As part of our efforts to deepen missile cooperation with friends and
allies, the US will seek to eliminate impediments to such
cooperation," the Whitehouse statement said.  "We will review
existing policies and practices governing technology sharing and
cooperation on missile defence, including US export control
regulations and statues, with this end in mind," it said.
Even among Republican congressional backers of Bush's missile-defence
program there are divisions on whether to tamper with restrictions on
military exports.  Arms controls advocates suggested any loosening of
these controls could be counterproductive.
"It is a silly trade-off," said Daryl Kimball, executive director of
the private Arms Control Association. "It shows the Admin is willing
to compromise internat'l controls" to advance its missile-defence
ambitions.  As an example, he said an Israeli proposal to sell its
Arrow missile defence system to India could not go forward under the
current rules but could if they were eased.
An Admin official, speaking on condition of anonymity, denied that any
move to ease existing restrictions was imminent.  The official said
such steps were now "in the study phases" and "far from a decision."
Word of the Admin's review comes as Congress debates a defence bill
that includes missile-defence provisions and ahead of Bush's
end-of-the-m trip to Russia and to France for a meeting of the
Group of Eight industrial nations.
Missile defence is expected to be an issue in Bush's talks with
Russian Pres Vladimir Putin.  Putin hopes to strike a deal with Bush
for cooperation in missile defence systems, having yielded to Bush's
abandonment of the 1972 treaty that banned nat'l missile defences.

UNSC to hold further talks on new Iraq resolution
NY, 19 May 2003 (UN mailing list).  The UN Sec Council has scheduled
more consultations for Tue on a draft resolution concerning the
post-war future of Iraq, the Pres of the 15-member body said today.
Ambassador Munir Akram of Pakistan told reporters after its
closed-door session this afternoon that some "important changes have
been made" to the draft resolution co-sponsored by Spain, UK and US
"which need to be studied."
He added that the Council has scheduled a meeting for tomorrow
afternoon, "at which time I expect that there will be a fairly
intensive discussion on various aspects of the text. It is an
important resolution and therefore I expect that there will be
important discussions after all Council members' govts have had an
opportunity to study the text."

Annan says he'll move quickly on Iraq envoy 
NY, 20 May 20 2003 (UN mailing list).  UN Sec Gen Kofi Annan said
today he would move "very quickly" to appoint a Special Representative
for Iraq as soon as the Sec Council passes a resolution to that effect.
Asked on arrival at UN Headquarters in NY how quickly he would move to
appoint the Special Representative, Mr. Annan told reporters:
"Well, once a resolution is passed I will move very quickly to
appoint a Special Representative who would take up his job, his work
in Iraq, as soon as is practicable. I think the resolution, which is
still under discussion and hasn't been passed yet, has seen many
changes and I don't know what is going to happen today."
The appointment of a Special Representative is one of the clauses of a
revised draft resolution co-sponsored by the US, UK and Spain. The
text envisages setting in motion interim arrangements for Iraq by
lifting sanctions, restoring economic activity by resuming oil sales,
and setting up a govt infrastructure under an Authority run by the US
and its coalition partners.
Several Sec Council members have called for strengthening the UN role
in post-war Iraq, and the new draft has some enhancements over the
previous version, which called for Mr. Annan to appoint a special
coordinator. A special representative has higher authority.
The draft also includes among the special representative's duties
"working intensively with the Authority, the people of Iraq and
others concerned to advance efforts to restore and establish nat'l and
local institutions for representative governance, including by
collaborating to facilitate a process leading to an internat'lly
recognised, representative govt of Iraq."
The previous version of this clause left out the word
"intensively" and the reference to the process of establishing a
representative govt of Iraq.
The govts of the Council's 15 members are considering the new draft
and consultations among their representatives to the UN in NY are
scheduled for this afternoon.

Value of UN'S oil-for-food relief items for Iraq approaches $1 bn
NY, 20 May 2003 (UN mailing list).  The total value of priority items
from the UN Oil-for-Food humanitarian pipeline that can be shipped to
Iraq has more than doubled to $949 mn thanks to the Sec Council's
3-wk extension of the programme, on which 60% of Iraqis depend
as their sole source of sustenance.
Before the Council extended Sec Gen Kofi Annan's authority last m to
run the programme for another 3 wk until 3 June, the total stood at
$455 mn.
The programme was temporarily halted on 17 Mar after the withdrawal
of all UN staff from Iraq on the eve of hostilities. The Council
adopted a resolution on 28 March giving Mr. Annan more authority to
administer the operation for the next 45 days, until 12 May, including
prioritising deliveries and finding new entry ports to speed their
shipment. It extended the Sec Gen's powers on 24 Apr.
The UN Office of the Iraq Programme (OIP), which oversees the
programme, under which Baghdad was allowed to use part of its oil
revenues to buy food and humanitarian supplies, said today that most
of the supplies were in the food ($US463 mn), electricity ($US239
mn), agriculture ($US119 mn) and health ($US88 mn) sectors.

US predicts UN support for Iraq plan 
NY (AP). The US predicted that it will get "substantial support" for a
resolution to lift UN sanctions against Iraq in a Sec Council vote
expected on Thu.
The new draft would authorise the US-led coalition, which drove Saddam
Hussein from power, to run Iraq until an internat'lly recognised govt
is established and to use its oil wealth to finance the country's
reconstruction.
Russia, France and China had expressed serious concerns about 2
earlier drafts and all 3 reportedly still had some concerns about the
latest proposal.  "The role of the Sec Council in overseeing the
reconstruction of Iraq should be clear," Russia's UN Ambassador Sergey
Lavrov said.  Council diplomats said one issue is the lack of any
time-frame for the US and Brit to administer Iraq as occupying
powers. Another is the fate of contracts under the oil-for-food
humanitarian program that have been approved but won't be funded, the
diplomats said on condition of anonymity.
US Ambassador John Negroponte initially wanted a vote Wed afternoon
but delayed it because Sec Council members suggested so many changes
to the latest draft during closed-door consultations that more time
was needed to prepare a new text.  "In light of some of the issues
that arose ... we agreed that the vote in all likelihood will take
place on Thu morning," Negroponte said.
Diplomats said the resolution was virtually certain to get 12 "yes"
votes in the 15-member council, with only France, Russia and China's
votes in question. Nine votes are needed for the resolution to pass.
The 3 permanent members, who opposed the war against Iraq, have let it
be known that they would abstain -- but not use their vetoes -- if
they couldn't support the final draft.
"There is strong support for this resolution," Negroponte said after
the nearly 4-hour council meeting.  In a key concession, the US agreed
to allow the Security Council to review implementation of the
resolution after one y, but Washington rejected a French proposal to
put a one-y time limit on the US and Brit authority to run Iraq,
diplomat said.
Trying to win support for the revised draft, US Sec of State Colin Powell 
worked the phones on Tue, calling several of his counterparts worldwide.
The new draft gives the UN a clearly defined role in establishing a
democratic govt and increases the stature of a UN envoy in Iraq. But
it also leaves the US and Brit, as occupying powers, firmly in control
of Iraq and its oil wealth until "an internat'lly recognised,
representative govt" takes office.
US billionaire financier and philanthropist George Soros warned Tue
that the resolution would establish an American protectorate
sanctioned by the UN and financed by Iraq's oil revenue.  He proposed
specific changes to give the UN more power in postwar Iraq and limit
the US and Brit occupation. But he told a news conference that all he
could realistically hope for were changes in "a few words here and there."
The US already has made a number of substantive changes to address
many countries' concerns that the UN was being relegated to
coordinating humanitarian aid, helping with reconstruction and having
a very limited political role.
In other key changes, the oil-for-food program would be phased out
over 6 m, instead of 4 m, meeting a concern of the French
and the Russians.
The new text asks Sec Gen Kofi Annan to appoint a special
representative with "independent powers" to work with the US and Brit
"to facilitate a process leading to an internat'lly recognised,
representative govt of Iraq." The previous texts referred to a UN
"special coordinator," a lower status.
Under the 1990 resolution imposing sanctions on Iraq, UN weapons
inspectors are to certify that Iraq's weapons of mass destruction have
been eliminated before sanctions are lifted. But the US has refused to
allow UN teams to return to Iraq, deploying its own inspectors instead.
The resolution would lift economic sanctions, freeing Iraq's oil
revenue from UN control. But it also reaffirms "that Iraq must meet
its disarmament obligations" and "underlines the intention of the
council to revisit the mandates" of UN inspectors at a future time.

US to give sanctions plan more thought
NY.  A UN Sec Council session discussing a US resolution on Iraq has
ended after just 2 hrs.  At the insistence of other members, the US
delegation agreed to take the draft back to Washington for yet more
consideration.  The BBC reports there is unlikely to be change to the
core elements, lifting the sanctions and recognising the US and Brit
as the occupying powers.  But other areas could be revised.  The
Russian ambassador to the UN, Sergei Lavrov, said the role of the Sec
Council in overseeing reconstruction should be clear.  The Americans
have already beefed up the responsibilities of the UN special
representative to Iraq in their resolution, but it may not be enough.
Ambassador Lavrov said they also needed to resolve the issue of
disarming Iraq.  The Russians and French had said they wanted UN
weapons inspectors to verify if Iraq was free of weapons of mass
destruction before sanctions were lifted.

Iraqi oil chief tells of illegal sales
Baghdad.  Former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein is believed to have raked
in more than $3 bn pa in illegal oil sales that broke the oil-for-food
agreement with the UN.  A former oil company executive says the
smuggling operations financed purchases of weapons and luxury goods
for the Pres, as well as equipment to keep the oil fields in
operation.  The unnamed executive said Iraq managed to smuggle 280,000
barrels of oil a day through Syria and Turkey.  Payment was made in
goods and cash.  The oil was allegedly sold at a discount and was
pumped to Syria via a pipeline, targeted by US bombers in the early
days of the war.  The oil executive said he felt it was his patriotic
duty to break the embargo.  While much of the money went to fund
Saddam Hussein's extravagant lifestyle, the remainder was spent on
much-needed equipment, spare parts and medicine.

Iraq inspectors to search for missing nuke material
Washington.  The US Govt is ready to allow UN weapons inspectors back
into Iraq.  Def Sec Donald Rumsfeld says neither he nor the coalition
commander in Iraq, General Tommy Franks, has any objection to the
move.  The head of the Internat'l Atomic Energy Agency, Mohammed El
Baradei, has said material looted from Iraqi nuclear sites could end
up in terrorists' hands.  Mr Rumsfeld concedes material is missing and
the inspectors could ascertain exactly what is gone.  "We do know
there's been some looting in some of those sites," he said.  "The
reason I think it might not be a bad idea for them to come in is that
they probably have inventories of all of that and would be in a
position to know what was there."  In negotiations at the UN on a
resolution to lift sanctions on Iraq, the US is understood to have
accepted a future role for the inspectors.

Toronto. MAD COW, MAD COW, MAD COW!  A case of MCD is the heart of
Canada's cattle country has authorities scrambling to trace its origins
while contending with US, Japan, and Aussie bans on all Canadian beef
imports.  The announcement of the first known case of BSE on the
continent in a decade has left the restaurant and food industries trying
to re-assure customers they have nothing to fear.  The case has
raised concern because Canada and the US have adopted feeding
practices that were intended to combat the spread of the illness.

Mad cow disease found in Canada
Toronto.  Canada has reported a case of mad cow disease and the US has
reacted by banning Canadian beef imports.  A Brit laboratory confirmed
the case of mad cow or BSE in Edmonton, Alberta, home to 40% of the
Canadian beef industry.  The cow was slaughtered on Jan 31 this y but
the Canadian Govt did not confirm the case until today.  Canada's
Agriculture Min Lyle Van Cleef says the animal's herd was quarantined
and meat did not enter the food chain.  "I want to stress the animal
did not go into the food chain," he said.  It is the 1st case of mad
cow disease in Canada since 1993 when an imported cow from Brit was
found to have the disease.  Mad cow disease devastated the Brit beef industry.

Cubans given life sentences for hijacking plane
Havana.  5 men who tried to hijack a Cuban passenger plane and escape
to the US have been jailed for life by a court in Havana.  In handing
down the sentences the judge declared the 5 men had committed
terrorism.  Three other men who were arrested have received sentences
of between 20 and 30 y.  It could have been even worse.  Last
m, 3 Cubans who hijacked a ferry and made a desperate but
unsuccessful attempt to get to the Florida coast were arrested, tried
and executed by firing squad.  This together with a purge of 75
dissidents clearly shows the Castro regime's determination to hold
power with an iron fist and to halt an exodus to the US.

ACM "appalled" at Woomera allegations
Sydney.  The company which ran the Woomera Detention Centre has issued
a statement saying it is appalled by what it calls a misleading
account aired by the ABC's Four Corners Program.  The ABC earlier this
wk raised allegations about the running of the now closed Woomera
centre, including that Australasian Correctional Management (ACM) lied
to the Govt about staffing levels.  ACM's MD Ross Millican claims the
program was littered with serious factual errors and half-truths.  He
says the claim staffing figures were "fudged" does not make sense
because ACM is provided funding on the basis of the number of
detainees not employees.

Port Hedland under-staffed, worker says
Canberra.  A former Port Hedland detention centre employee says he
suffered physical abuse from detainees as a result of under-staffing at
the facility.  The claims come after allegations of insufficient staff
numbers at S AUS's Woomera detention centre.  Scott Carter, 31, worked
as an officer at the centre for 2 y before going on stress leave and
later resigning.  He says he was physically assaulted 4 times by
detainees, including one occasion when boiling water was tipped over
him.  Mr Carter says guards are often attacked but the centre's
management has repeatedly failed to address workers' concerns.  "It's
about time the Govt took responsibility for the detention centres and
instead of running them at a profit for a foreign company, they should
just return them to the Govt's hands," he said.  Australasian
Correctional Management, which runs the centre, declined to comment.

AUS govt issues Singapore travel warning
Canberra.  The Fed Govt is warning Aussies in Singapore to exercise
extreme caution.  It says they should be particularly cautious in
commercial and public areas known to be frequented by foreigners.  The
Dept of Foreign Affairs says it continues to receive reports that
terrorists in the region are planning attacks.  On the issue of severe
acute respiratory syndrome, the dept says there are now no
SARS-related recommendations for Singapore and advises the risk of
contracting the disease there is low.

Singapore. SPITTERS FINED IN SINGAPORE!  A Sing Court has fined 11
people for spitting in public as part of a crackdown to help stop the
spread of SARS.  The Straits Times says that the 11 received fines of
$A260 ea while an arrest warrant has been issued for another man who
failed to show up in court.  They were all caught on May 17 and 18.
SARS has killed 28 people in Singapore.

Dollar linked to euro fortunes
Sydney.  The AUD has been back above the 66 US cent level with its
movement still closely linked to the fortunes of the euro.  In late
morning trade, the local currency hit 66.05 US cents before retreating
to 65.93 around lunch time.  Dealers say the latest rise in the value
of the dollar was driven by fluctuations in the euro and US dollar
rather that AUS's latest measure of wage movements.  The Wage Cost
Index compiled by the Bureau of Statistics is up a benign 0.9% for the
March quarter to be 3.6% higher over the y.

Clearing decisions pending on 1000s of Qld ha
Brisbane.  Conservationists say 380,000 hectares of land in Qld could
still be legally cleared if current applications for clearing permits
are approved.  The Qld Govt has announced a ban on new applications
for permits while it negotiates a deal with the Commonwealth to reduce
clearing.  The ban does not apply to existing applications and Louise
Matthiesson from the Wilderness Society says there are more than 350
before the Govt.  She says she hopes the Govt will reject some of them
but says farmers deserve financial help to deal with the problem.
"The important thing is that the 2 govts come to an agreement that
will provide a long-term solution to this long-running issue," she
said.  "We need to see a financial assistance package that will help
farmers manage the land more sustainably.  "But most importantly we
need to see an end to this rampant broad-scale land clearing that's
devastating so much of our landscape."

Drought slashes AWB profit
Canberra.  The drought has ravaged the latest financial results of
leading grain marketing organisation, AWB Limited.  The former AUS
Wheat Board has seen its half-y profit slashed 61 per cent to just
under $30 mn.  AWB's managing director Andrew Lindberg says the
result is a solid one, given the severity of the drought that AUS has
experienced.  He says the drought conditions resulted in significantly
lower grain production, with wheat production estimated to be down 60%
to 9.7 mn tonnes.  AWB is forecasting a full-y profit after
tax of between $40 mn and $45 mn.  The company is also optimistic
that the breaking of the El Nino weather pattern and some good rains
in the AUS wheat belt will result in an above-average winter crop for
wheat this season.

Govt still to decide gun buy-back amount
Canberra.  The Fed Govt says it is yet to decide exactly how much it
will pay handgun owners who surrender their weapons under a nat'l
buy-back scheme.  The Commonwealth and the states and territories
agreed to fund the program after the shootings at Vic's Monash
University last y.  The buy-back scheme will begin from July 1.  A
rep for the Fed Justice Min, Chris Ellison, says the Govt will shortly
finalise the list of banned handguns and the value of compensation for
gun owners.

More fishing boats seized off NT
Darwin.  Authorities have seized another 6 Indonesian boats allegedly
caught fishing in AUS's N waters.  Last night a vessel was caught nr
Arnhem Land off the N Territory's NE coast.  The Indonesian flagged
boat was intercepted by HMAS Geelong.  A 2nd Indonesian vessel was
caught last night by a Customs vessel east of Gove in the Gulf of
Carpentaria with 7 kg of shark fins on board.  Both vessels
were apprehended within the AUS fishing zone.  Another 4 Indonesian
boats were intercepted nr Arnhem Land yesterday morning allegedly
fishing for shark fins.  The crew and 5 boats will be towed to
Darwin.  One boat was considered un-seaworthy and was sunk.  It brings
to 26 the number of boats apprehended off N AUS in 9-days.  So far
this y 61 boats have been inside the fishing zone.

London. BRITS AND AUSSIE WINE!  Brit's love affair with Aussie wines
has grown almost 10-fold in the past 10 y.  New figures show more than
$A1.8 bn worth of Aussie wine was bought in Brit last y -- up from
$A191 mn in 1992.  Wine from the US has seen a similar explosion in
sales, increasing from $A83.3 mn to almost $A470 mn over the same
period.  The figures from market analysts AC Nielsen show demand for
win from established producers France and Italy is comparatively flat.

{{ Continuous war news
6 pm
Detailed evidence from 2 NK defectors has revealed the extent of the
communist country's drug business.  Appearing hooded before a Senate
hearing to hide their ID's, the pair said 1 tonne of heroin is
produced by NK each m for markets in HK, China, Russia and SK.  The 2
defectors say in 97 the NK govt told all collective farms to set aside
10 ha for opium poppy cultivation.
US State Dept and Def Dept experts say the sales could fund a large
part of the North's alleged illegal weapons programs.  They said they
could not say so definitively.
In Jul, the crew from a NK ship will face drug charges in MEL, AUS, in
connection with 50 kg of heroin found at a Vic beach.  The Fed govt
launched a naval operation to intercept the NK tramp off the NSW coast.
One member of the crew is said to be a snr member of the NK Workers' Party.

NY.  UN weapons inspectors may return to Iraq under a new UNSC res.
The IAEA says looting of rad materials has raised the possibility of
nuclear contamination in Iraq.  
Up to 20% of the material at a key Iraqi site has gone missing.  It
was unguarded during GWII and some period after the fall of Baghdad.
The UN had inspected and sealed he site as part of the weapons
inspection process.
Russia, a key opponent to GWII, says
sanctions should only be lifted when the US certifies Iraq free of
WMD.  But warnings from the IAEA may cement a faster agreement.  The
nuclear watchdog says stolen material poses a health and security
hazard.  It could end up in the hands of terrorists who could use it
to make a dirty nuclear bomb.  America has written in a role for the UN
and agreed to an extension of the oil-for-food program.  But it has
rejected a UN call for a 12-m limit to its occupation of the country,
and has refused to relinquish control of Iraq's oil reserves.

Zimbabwe is suffering a 220% inflation rate.  It needs to print new
bank notes, but cant afford to import the paper.

Jakarta. Pres Megawati says she ordered the military offensive against
Aceh with a heavy heart.  There were big protests against the govt in
Jakarta today.  Indon accuses GAM of kidnapping several local
parliamentarians.  An Aussie who spent m in Indon jail after
trying to contact GAM leaders says it's hard to ID the culprits of the
school burnings.  No-one wears uniforms, she says.  She said there's
been reports of Indon military encircling villages and registering
women and children, and then men. Anyone refusing to come out are
shot.  Indon says the only casualties so far have been 5 armed rebels.

Sri Lanka.  Although the official death toll is around 250, 500 people
are still missing after the worst flooding in 60 y.  60,000 homes have
been destroyed.  10s of 1000s are homeless.  The floods struck last
Sat and are only now slowly subsiding.  Severe landslides have left
their mark in the S.  Ratnapora has been the hardest hit city.  It's
still submerged after days of rain swept in from the Bay of Bengal.
Boats are in large demand to transport supplies and people for medical
attention.  The PM says the country needs internat'l help urgently.
AUS has pledged $100,000.  Norway, Brit and US are also sending aid.
India is sending military personnel to dispose of the dead.

AUS has joined the US and Japan in banning imports of beef from
Canada.  It's the 1st case of Mad Cow on the American continent and
threatens to destroy the Canadian herd.  AUS Ag Min Warren Truss
announced AUS had also placed a "holding order" on meat from US and
Mexico as well.  Canada says there is an over-reaction.  Brit
destroyed 700 mn cattle through the 80s and 90s on MCD fears.  The 700
animals at the farm where the single Canadian BSE case was found have
been sent for slaughter.  AUS beef exporters say the drought will
limit the opportunity to take advantage of the situation.  Beef
futures in the US turned down sharply and McD's and Wendy's share
prices dived 7% on the news of the BSE case.

The All Ords ended up 6 pts at 2,914.  In Japan, the Nikkei ended the
session down 41 pts (1/2%) on SARS and terror fears.

7 pm
Despite the choreographed para drop and rocket attack for the cameras,
the Indon troops aren't having it all their own way in Aceh.  The war
is falling into a familiar pattern, with Indon columns attacked by
un-ID'd gunmen.  In one ambush today, a civilian was critically
wounded.  Then the gunmen melted away.  The orders from the local
Indon cmdr are brutally direct -- any GAM rebel that resists must be
exterminated.

NK has given the "south side" the most explicit warning yet since the
nuclear standoff began earlier this y.  In an official statement, the
N warned Seoul it "faced disaster" if it "chose the path of
confrontation".  The statement came as witnesses told a US Senate
hearing NK had a state-sponsored drug program to raise money for
weapons development.

The AUS govt has updated travel alerts to 22 countries.  Following the
upgrade of the US threat level to "high", the AUS govt warned
citizens in the US to be "alert but not alarmed".  But the govt says
Aussies at home have nothing to worry about.

10 pm
Chinese TV has broadcast pictures live from the summit of Mt
Everest. It's the first live b'cast from the summit.
}}

----------------------------------------
Thu, 22 May 2003.

Markets
Quake death toll rises to 459
Israeli clamp-down cancels tour
Blast rocks Yale law school
Brit reviving nuke program
US to close embassy in Norway
Norway shocked by tape
AUS named by al-Qaeda as target
AUS to keep embassy open
Korean talks break down
Indon court commits Amrozi
Central Park celebrates 150 y
Russia and France to vote for UN res
Bush attacks Europe on GMO
Truckies against terrorists
More troops welcomed home
PM backs cannabis trial
New bio-power project for Qld
NT revives statehood plan
Joint plan to save GBR
Continuous war news

NY. MARKETS!  The Dow closed up 25 pts to 8,516, overcoming fears of
terrorist attack and deflation. An up-beat assessment from Fed chair
Greenspan fuelled the rise. Tobacco stocks were higher on news a Fla
court has ruled against a $multi-bn settlement with the state govt on
public health costs.  Gold was higher at $US372/oz.  In London, the
FTSE closed down 35 at 3,936. The German Dax also ended down 12 pts at
2,827.

Algeria. QUAKE DEATH TOLL RISES TO 459!  One of the most powerful
earthquakes in the region has struck N Algeria.  It measured 6.7 on the
Richter scale.  The death toll in the capital, Algiers, and
neighbouring tows is reported at be at least 459, with 2,400 others
injured.  State radio says at least 199 people died in Algiers itself
when the quake struck yesterday evening.  A further 256 died in
Boumerdes prov to the E of the capital, where the towns of Rouiba and
Boumerdes were badly hit.

Beit Hanoun. ISRAELI CLAMP-DOWN CANCELS TOUR!  Israeli tanks have
forced the Palestinian PM to scrap a tour in the Gaza Strip today,
dealing another blow to the Middle E peace plan.  The cancellation of
the visit to Beit Hanoun in N Gaza has dashed hopes US Pres Bush Jr
might be taking a more direct role in the region's peace talks.
Analysts say the tanks would have provided a humiliating backdrop for
Abu Mazen's tour of the area damaged by an Israeli army raid.

New Haven. BLAST ROCKS YALE LAW SCHOOL!  An explosion has occurred in
a classroom at Yale Uni's law school.  There are no injuries, but
officials in Washington say investigators from the Joint Terrorism
Taskforce are headed to the scene in Connecticut.  An FBI rep in
Washington says they understand an explosive device had gone off.  By
the mayor of New Haven says that has yet to be confirmed.  The blast
comes a day after the US govt raised its terror threat level to
"high", saying there's a risk of terrorist attack on the US mainland.

Washington. US TO CLOSE EMBASSY IN NORWAY!  The US says it will close
its embassy in Oslo to the public after threats against Norway where
made in a tape attributed to OBL's top lieutenant.  The State Dept
says the embassy will be closed tomorrow for "security reasons".
While is hasn't ID-ed a specific threat to the embassy it's pointed to
the tape broadcast today by the Arabic-language al-Jazeera TV network.
[The US Admin apparently has no doubts that the terrorists are located
in Iran].

Oslo. NORWAY SHOCKED BY TAPE!  Proud of their role in global
peacemaking and mediation, Norwegians are shocked and concerned about
being named by a leading al-Qaeda members as a target for terrorism.
Norway didn't support the war in Iraq [either time],  but had sent
troops to Afghanistan to help oust the Taliban and al-Qaeda. Some
commentators here say al-Zawahri may be confusing Norway and
neighbouring Denmark, that sent a submarine and escort ship to the
Gulf during GWII.
[Some analysts say the tape appears to have been made to be broadcast
before the Saudi and Moroccan suicide attacks].

Dubai. AUS NAMED BY AL-QAEDA AS TARGET!  Australia has been singled
out in a message, reportedly from a top aide to OBL, which urges
Muslims to wage a holy war and strike W targets.  The tape, aired on
Qatar's al-Jazeera TV, is allegedly from Ayman al-Zawahri -- described
as "bin Laden's right-hand man".  In the message he urges Muslims to
wage a holy war against Americans, Jews and Western interests, incl
AUS.  A US intel official says the CIA is analysing the tape, although
it will take some time as the audio quality is poor.

Canberra. AUS TO KEEP EMBASSY OPEN!  Despite embassy closured
announced by the snr Coalition partners, AUS has refused to close its
embassy in Riyadh.  For Min Alex Downer has stood by the decision,
despite fears of an imminent terrorist attack on Western interests in
the region.  Mr Downer, currently in the Saudi capital, says staff at
the embassy are "comfortable" with the decision to keep it open.  He
said the ambassador and the staff in the embassy are comforted by the
amount of security that is being provided.

London. BRIT REVIVING NUKE PROGRAM!  First it was the US. Now Brit is
reportedly recruiting nuclear scientists for its atomic weapons
program.  The news has raised fears among anti-nuclear campaigners
that London may join Washington in developing new forms of atomic
weapons.  New Scientist magazine says the Atomic Weapons
Establishment has confirmed it hopes to hire up to 80 physicists,
material scientists and systems engineers this y, and to increase
its work force by 300 or more by 2008.

Seoul. KOREAN TALKS BREAK DOWN!  N and S Korea appear set to jettison
economic cooperation after talks broke down on the opening day amid
bitter recriminations over the N's nuclear program.  Observers say
efforts to revive the talks are under way but neither Seoul nor
Pyongyang appear ready to make concessions.  The talks broke down
after the N threatened the S with "disaster" of Seoul aligned itself
with Washington against the Stalinist state.

Denpasar. INDON COURT COMMITS AMROZI!  An Indon court has rejected
appeals by lawyers for Bali bombing suspect Amrozi bin Nurhasyim to
abandon the trial on legal grounds.  Chief judge I Made Karna Parna
says the hearing will proceed and has called on prosecutors to present
witnesses at the next sitting on Mon.  Amrozi is facing 4 counts under
the country's anti-terrorism laws for planning and helping to cary out
the bombings in which 202 people died, incl 88 Aussies.  The panel of
5 judges has rejected the defence team's 4 objections, incl that the
laws didn't exist when the bombings were carried out.  Amrozi will be
the first of more than 30 suspects that will go on trial over the attack.

NY. CENTRAL PARK CELEBRATES 150 Y!  NY is celebrating the 150th
anniversary of Central Park.  The city is rolling out the green
carpet for residents and visitors, and will spend the remainder of the
y celebrating the anniversary with light shows, exhibits, performances
and concepts.  The oasis in the middle of Manhattan is now a melting
pot for locals and tourists.  The 337 h park incl 54 ha of woodland,
100 ha of lawn and 60 ha of lakes and ponds.

Paris. RUSSIA AND FRANCE TO VOTE FOR UN RES!  Freedom, Russia and
Germany will vote in favour of a US-sponsored UNSC res to lift
sanctions on Iraq and let the US-led coalition run the country until
an approved govt takes over.  French For Min Dominique de Villepin
says they've decided to vote for the res and work towards a consensus
within the Sec Council.  De Villepin says the res -- to be voted on
tomorrow -- is the result of a compromise and the US, Brit and Spain
have listened to their partners.  [AUS is not a member of the UNSC,
hence no-one mentions it].

New London. BUSH ATTACKS EUROPE ON GMO!  Pres Bush Jr has accused
Europe of undermining efforts to east famine in Africa by blocking the
use of GM crops.  In his address to the Coat Guard Academy, Bush said
Europe had banned the import and use of "bio-crops" because of
"unfounded, unscientific fears". [And good economic sens. ;-)] He says
this has caused many African nations to avoid "investing in
biotechnology" [read "buying GM food from the US"] for fear their
products will be shut out of European markets.

Canberra. TRUCKIES AGAINST TERRORISTS!  First it was fridge magnets
that warned Aussies to report anything suspicious. Now the road
transport industry is promoting truckies as the nation's eyes and ears
in what it says will be a cost-effective strategy to combat the threat
of terrorism.  The AUS Trucking Assoc met with the fed transp dept's
new security division yesterday to discuss counter-terrorism
strategies.  The Assoc wants security screening of all drivers and has
also called for an industry-specific terrorism hotline to be set up.
And it says drivers should receive counter-terrorism training.

Canberra. MORE TROOPS WELCOMED HOME!  PM Howard and Opp'n leader Crean
will welcome home the latest group of troops from Iraq today.  The pair
will be among a group of politicians attending the official welcome
for members of the 5th Av Regt and the RAAF Exp Combat Support Sqn at
Townsville AFB.  Aussies will have an opportunity to thanks the troops
in 2 parades to be held next m in SYD and Perth.

Canberra. PM BACKS CANNABIS TRIAL!  Despite threats from some fed govt
officials to block the NSW govt by using the UN narcotics treaty, PM
John Howard has backed a controversial plan to use cannabis for pain
relief in the chronically ill.  But his support for the NSW trial is
conditional on the cannabis being dispensed by doctors and
administered in tablet or spray form.  Mr Howard told the West
Australian newspaper he doesn't personally object to making cannabis
available for those suffering chronic pain. Nut he stresses that this
doesn't mean he condones any relaxation of AUS's drug laws.

Brisbane. NEW BIO-POWER PROJECT FOR QLD!  First it was
wind-farms. Then solar power. Then a Vic company started planning a
huge convection tower.  Not to be left out, Qld has started
construction of a $3 mn power plant at Gympie which, in a world first,
will be fuelled by waste macadamia shells.  The Qld plant will be
completed in Aug and is a joint project between Ergon Energy and one
of the world's largest macadamia nut processors, Suncoast Gold
Macadamias.  The plant will initially turn around 5,000 t of waste
shells into enough electricity to power more than 1,260 Qld homes.

Darwin. NT REVIVES STATEHOOD PLAN!  The NT's revived its push to
become a state, receiving widespread support.  NT Chief Min Clare
Martin announced a community-based 5-y push to statehood yesterday,
following the surprise defeat of a referendum on the issue in 1998.  Ms
Martin says the 5-y push -- to coincide with the territory's 30th
anniversary of self-govt on Jul 1 2008 -- will involve community
consultation on the development of the state constitution.

Brisbane. JOINT PLAN TO SAVE GBR!  The Qld and fed govts have
announced a joint plan for protecting the Great Barrier Reef.  Fed Env
Min David Kemp says significant areas of the reef are in danger unless
something is done to make development on the land more sustainable.
Dr Kemp says this is a very significant program designated to protect
the reef.  Mr Beattie says the next audit of the reef will be in 2005
and further action may be taken to penalise those whose industries
contribute to pollution.

{{ Continuous war news
1 am
NBC. NYc is on a state of heightened alert.  Police have been brought
in from outlying Burroughs into Manhattan.  The NYSE is on 24 hr
patrol.  Monuments are under National Guard. In Washington, tourist
sites are protected with guided missiles.

NBC. In Riyadh officials say 3 Moroccan suspects arrested several days
ago have admitted al-Qaeda connections.  2 were captured at Jeddah
airport, and one has admitted they were to hijacked an aircraft and
fly in back into a bank building in Jeddah.  The AUS and Brit
ambassadors have said there is intel that an attack is imminent in
Saudi Arabia in the next few days.

Baghdad.  Administrator Bremer says the creation of an Iraq interim
govt will be delayed at least until Jul.  Several Iraqi reps have
already met in an attempt for form a core govt, but Bremer said the
group was not representative enough, by its own admission. He also
called for all Iraqis to surrender all heavy weapons.

6 am
A scratchy audio tape played by al-Jazeera TV says the embassies of US,
Brit, AUS and Norway [!?]  are al-Qaeda targets.  Preliminary analysis
says the tape is authentic.  What's claimed to be OBL's right hand man
has called on Muslims in Arab allies of the US to take up arms and
punish their govts.  He says protests are useless and guerilla war is
what's needed.
Gold jumped $5 after the tape came out, reaching a 7-y high.  It's up
12% in the last m in USD.

The US is reportedly asking to base F-14 aircraft and 5,000 Marines in
the NT. The Fed Govt says no official enquiries have been made by the
US govt. The Greens say AUS doesn't want to become a launching pad for
pre-emptive US strikes in the region.

A mag 6.7 quake has hit Algeria, killing 650 people in the N of the
country.  1,700 are reported injured .  It's the largest quake in the
region in 60 y.

A $US145 bn settlement between 5 tobacco companies and the state of
Florida has been thrown out on appeal.  Florida had won a landmark
deal to recover what it said were the public health and other
costs of treating patients with tobacco-related diseases.  But an
appellate court has ruled the settlement broke Florida law because it
threatened to bankrupt some of the tobacco companies involved.

The WHO has announced a global anti-tobacco treaty that it says will
combat the annual toll in smoking-related disease.  The WHO says up to
5 mn people each y die or contract serious illnesses related to the
use of tobacco.  The treaty aims at reducing the use of tobacco
products, incl promoting world-wide bans on advertising of cigarettes.
Critics say advertising bans have little effect on cigarette use.
Advocates say publicity campaigns have reduced the use of tobacco from
the majority of the adult population in Western countries in the 40s,
to an average of less than 20% of the population now.

The AUS Fed govt reportedly plans to step in to stop a cannabis trial
in NSW.  The NSW govt has announced it will allow the trial of
medicinal marijuana in cases where patients can prove they are
suffering symptoms like nausea or severe pain, which might be helped
by the use of cannabis.  The drug is to be supplied by selected
hospitals and pharmacies, but there were no details on whether it would
be used in pill form, eaten, or smoked.  Fed govt reps say the Howard
govt may use its treaty powers to force the NSW govt to back down on
the plan, in compliance with the UN narcotics treaty.  Several other
countries, incl 12 states of the US, have programs that allow the
medical use of marijuana. In SA, CBR and the NT, possession of small
amounts of the drug is no longer a criminal offence, but attract a
small fine.

Chicago. State prosecutors have charged 2 women with supplying alcohol
to minors in relation to a now-infamous hazing incident that landed 5
teen girls in hospital.  The juniors from Glenbrook N HS had to seek
medical care for injuries ranging from broken ankles to cuts and
bruises after they underwent an "initiation" by senior girls during a
school football game.  The state attorney's office says 1 of the
women is alleged to have taken 2 kegs of beer to the game, and the
other is charged with providing beer to 30 juniors who attended to
pre-hazing party at her home.

8 am
The Dow has closed higher today, despite fresh concerns about terror,
SARS and Mad Cow Disease in America.  Following the dismissal of a
huge tobacco settlement in Florida, tobacco stocks rose sharply.  The
AUD has also traded down, falling to 65.5 US c from recent highs of 66
and above.  The AUD is above 77 Yen for the first time since mid 1999.

Midday.
A bomb has exploded at Yale University.  There are no reported
injuries.  A Uni rep said a wall between two classrooms was destroyed
in the blast, but there isn't any structural damage.  There are no
details on who is responsible for the blast.

The UNSC will vote today [AUS time] on a Res to remove sanctions
impost on Iraq since 1991.  The Res will give the UN a role in
post-war Iraq, and provides for the resumption of weapons inspections.
Points of contention regarding the US control of the country's vast
oil reserves and uncertainty about the length of the US-led interim
admin remain.

The NSW govt has voted down an opp'n bill that would have prevented
people convicted of violent crimes from being granted bail, and have
a presumption against bail for repeat offenders.  The govt has not yet
put forward its own plan, prompting accusations from the opp'n it's
dragging its feet on crime.

The ASX was higher at noon. News Corp and the banks were behind the
push from the open. The All Ords has added 15 pts to 2,930.

5 pm
Aceh. Local witnesses say children are among victims of the Indon
military crackdown in Aceh. Up to 18 people are reported to have been
killed in the heavy fighting.  A BBC reporter says 8 people were
executed by Indon troops by a gunshot to the back of the head.  2
Indon soldiers were wounded in a rebel attack on the outskirts of the
prov'l capital.  Main roads have been cut by downed trees.  Incl
paramilitary police, the Indon forces number almost 50,000 aiming to
crush the GAM rebels.

The Greens have called on the Fed Govt to rule out the creation of new
US military bases in AUS. Reps for the govt say newspaper stories that
up to 5,000 US Marines might be based in the NT are "ridiculous".

The US has donated $1 mn to Kenya to boost its security.

The FBI has confirmed an explosive device was mailed to the Yale law school.

5 pm.
PBS, News Hour. The head of the US EPA has resigned. In her 2.5 y
tenure, Whitman had clashed with the Bush Admin on GW and other
issues.  But she'd also been a lightning rod for many changes the Bush
Admin has brought in, removing or reducing pollution laws and
controls. E.g. removing a Clinton-era ruling on permissible arsenic
levels in water. The Bush Admin said the levels were too low. But
following a public outcry, the Clinton law was later re-instated.
Whitman says she's resigned to spend more time with her family.  In
her letter she wrote the EPA had build an enviable record of success
and made significant improvements in the nation's environment.

The Vic state govt has suggested adding $4 to the average
early-morning taxi fare to attract drivers to working the 1 am to 6 am
shift in the city. Cab companies say the move will only result in more
drunk drivers.

RMIT students were staging a mock funeral for Aussie higher education
in CBD MEL today when they were up-staged by Young Libs.  The
protesters later went on the LP HQ to protest at proposed changes to
uni fees under the $12 bn tertiary education reform package announced
in the Fed Budget.

5.30 pm.
Gold is trading at $US370.50/oz.

Sorenstam. Golf. You go girl!

6.30 pm
There are reports of an explosion in Istanbul. There are no reports of
damage or injuries or who is responsible.

After looking at 2 trailers found in N Iraq for for than 1 m a US
intel report says it can find no other consistent logical purpose for
them except as portable bio-weapons labs.  It points out the
similarity with reports from Iraqi defectors. But not a trace of bio
agents were found on either trailer.  It's no smoking gun, say former
UN weapons inspectors.  Critics in Congress say the Bush Admin has
hoodwinked the American people.  After weeks of searching all that US
forces have found are "fertiliser, a few vacuum cleaners, and the
occasional buried swimming pool" one Democrat told the House.  The
Pentagon is now seeking co-operation from Iraqis in the last hope of
being led to the WMD it can't find for itself.

11 pm
Taiwan has recoded 8 deaths and 65 new cases of SARS in the past 24
hrs.  In Beijing, the number of cases is slowly starting to fall.
Schools opened today, in a bid to stop the spread of the virus.  More
than 1 mn prim and sec students will head back to school after health
checks. Overnight, only 12 new cases were recorded.

11.50 pm
Oil is trading around 29.33 USD/bbl. The price is expected to fall if
the UNSC removes bans on Iraqi oil trade.
}}

----------------------------------------
Fri, 23 May 2003.

Markets
More than 1,000 dead in quake
UNSC lifts Iraq sanctions
US sends peacekeepers to Iraq
Aussies O/S warned of terrorism
AUS sets up homeland security office
Soldiers to be drug tested
Migrant support centre closes
WHO set set up SARS fund
NSW to investigate Bali appeal
Pan calls in the administrators

NY. MARKETS!  Despite terrorism fears, SARS and a bomb blast at Yale,
the DJIA ended 78 pts (0.9%) higher at 8,595.  The Nasdaq was also
higher.  Gold lost some of its glitter, and was trading around
$US366.80/oz.  Oil was trading at just over #US29/bbl.  In London, the
FTSE also ended higher. It closed 54 pts (1.3%) up at 3,999. The Dax
closed up 38 pts (1.3%) at 2,865.
[The AUD was trading around 65.79 this morning, AUS time].

Algiers. MORE THAN 1,000 DEAD IN QUAKE!  At least 1,092 people have
been killed and 6,782 injured in the massive quake that rocked N
Algeria on Tue.  The Int Min has warned the toll will rise.  It says
the town of Boumerdes, 50 km E of the Med coast capital Algiers was
the hardest hit, with 624 deaths, while 457 were killed in the
capital.  The toll will rise substantially as dozens of people are
still trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings.  The Ministry
says 100s of people are listed as missing.

NY. UNSC LIFTS IRAQ SANCTIONS!  The UN Sec Council has overwhelmingly
approved a Res to lift 13 y of economic and trade sanctions against
Iraq.  In a unanimous vote, the Council has approved the US-led
Coalition to control the country until an indep govt is formed. No
deadlines have been set for the formation of an Iraqi govt. US
officials say the hand-over might take up to 2 y.  Once divided, the
Council will have a key role in the reconstruction of post-GWII Iraq.
The massive rebuilding task will be funded by oil revenue.  The US
made more than 90 changes to its draft res in order to get the backing
of GWII critics Russia, Germany and China.

Baghdad. US SENDS PEACEKEEPERS TO IRAQ!  The US has started to deploy
its most experienced peacekeeping unit in Bagdad.  It hopes to
restore calm with the Army's 1st Arm'd Div to replaced the 3rd
ID. About 1/2 the 16,500-member unit has now arrived from the US.
The unit incl the most experienced US peacekeepers, who have worked in
a wide range of regime-changing operations since deploying to the
Middle E during GWI.

Canberra.  AUSSIES O/S WARNED OF TERRORISM!  Aussies travelling O/S
have been warned to take extreme care after an al-Qaeda tape singled
out AUS for a new wave of terror attacks.  The fed govt is
downplaying the threat, saying there's no need to upgrade security at
home.  But the words are contradicted by actions.  TV reports point
out DFAT upgraded its travel warnings on its web pages, and the govt
has mooted a special Terrorism Office will soon be opened within the
Office of the PM.  A rep for DFAT says the advice it's now displaying
is designed to reflect recent bombing attacks in Saudi Arabia and
Morocco and the latest taped threat.

Sydney. AUS SETS UP HOMELAND SECURITY OFFICE!  What is effectively a
US-style homeland security office is to be set up within the top
ranks of the Howard govt.  Described as an "elite security and counter
terrorism division", the new Dept of PM and Cabinet will be formed in
the next 12 m.  The Australian newspaper says the office will
coordinate nat'l security, border protection, intel assessments, and
counter-terrorism activities between fed govt bodies and state govts.

Canberra. SOLDIERS TO BE DRUG TESTED!  AUS's 25,000 soldiers will face
random drug and alcohol testing under a new push to crack down on
problem drinking and illicit drug use in the Defence Force.  The tests
will be phased in, starting with random alcohol breath testing from
Jul for soldiers on duty.  Drug tests will be intro'd over the
following 12 to 18 m.  A rep for Parl'y Sec of Def Fran Bailey says
the drug and alcohol policy isn't yet finalised.

Melbourne. MIGRANT SUPPER CENTRE CLOSES!  A MEL migrant support centre
employing 20 people will shut its doors from today after the fed govt
withdrew funding amid allegations of financial mis-management.  The
Inner Western Region Migrant Resource Centre in sub'n Footscray has
gone into administration after the govt refused its request for a
one-off grant of $197,000.  The resource centre has helped migrants
with housing, employment, legal and health issues since 1981.

Beijing. WHO SET SET UP SARS FUND!  The WHO says it will set up a
$A306 mn fund to help Asian nations combat the SARS virus, as the
crisis eases in China but deepens in rival Taiwan.  The Geneva-based
UN health body says it's launched a fund to boost SARS surveillance
and analysis in China and other hard-hit nations.  It wants businesses
to give 1/2 the money and govts the rest.  Meanwhile, Taiwan reported
8 new deaths and 65 more infections in the past 24 hrs, the day after
WHO expanded its travel warnings to all parts of the island.

Sydney. NSW TO INVESTIGATE BALI APPEAL!  The NSW govt has reportedly
begun investigating how the Red Cross promoted its fundraising and
distributed donations to the victims of the Bali bombings.  The SMH
says the Min for Gaming and Racing [?]  Grant McBride confirmed the
inquiry began last wk.  The aid agency has been under fire for its
handling of the appeal, as only about $4 mn of the $14.3 mn collected
has reached victims.  Critics say they donated money to help the
victims and families of the Bali bombing, not toward other projects
and the administration of Red Cross AUS.

Sydney. PAN CALLS IN THE ADMINISTRATORS!  Disgraced drug maker Pan
Pharmaceuticals has called in voluntary administrators amid fears the
company will go under.  The company last m sparked AUS's biggest
product recall after its licence was suspended following safety and
quality breaches. The alternative medicine maker has appointed HIH's
liquidator Tony McGrath and his colleague Chris Honey at accounting
giant KPMG as its administrators.

{{ Continuous war news
1 am
NBC. The Pres still has 62% approval -- down 9 pts from last m.  But
the economy is his vulnerable point. Only 29% of Americans think tax
cuts are appropriate; 65% think other measures are more important.
41% of those polled think another terrorist attack is imminent.

2 am
NY. The UN Sec Council has voted 14/0 to lift 13 yo trade sanctions
against Iraq.  The price of oil immediately dipped $1/2 on the NYSE.

Snr war-fighter in the Iraq theatre, Gen Tommy Franks, has announced
his retirement. 57 yo Gen Franks had delayed his retirement to lead
the US forces in GWII, on special request from Pres Bush Jr.

6 am
The Fed Transp Min will meet with other officials in MEL today, to
discuss a plan to require all young drivers to undergo intensive
safety training.

Despite support from France in passing its Iraq resolution, the US had
announced further "consequences" for prev disagreements.  While Colin
Powell denied that US foreign policy was about punishing those who
disagreed with America, he indicated that America didn't forget such
disagreements. The Pentagon has indicated that no top military
officials will attend the Paris air show this y, and only about 1/2
the number of defence contractors will be going.

While sanctions against Iraq have been lifted, the US has announced
contracts with companies in Iran and China are banned for a period of 2 y.

The former CEO of BHP Billiton is set to receive a $A50 mn handshake
after 6 m in the job. Irate shareholders and other critics say he's
the 3rd company exec to retire on a $multi-mn package in as many
years.  The news comes as a report is released that finds Aussie-based
execs may not be worth their pay packets.

The US is conducting a "review" of its threat assessment of pre-war
Iraq, amid suspicions intel was subject to political interference.
The Hell you say!

Midday.
ABC.  Baghdad.  The power situation in Bagdad seems to be going
backwards.  It's been even worse than post-war normal for the past 5
days.  Some generators have broken down completely. Reporters showed
one station that was operating at 1/2-power -- and it was one of the good
ones, they said. One of the problems revealed now is that the capital
was never able to produce all its requirements. Power was also
generated in the N and the S. But the pylons supporting the power
lines were damaged during the last days of the war. Workers are
refusing to go out to repair them unless they're provided with guards
to protect them from bandits and gunmen. But there seems to be a
hold-up in arranging security.  A growing number of voices are saying
things were better under Saddam.
}}

========================================

(*) Who is responcible for W.A.R.S?  A small group of dedicated
sandgrubbers, bannana-lickers and 5th columnists on the run from
support payments and sundry legalese in their home countries. Mention
us at any Uncle Harry's Suburban Bunker and get a 10% discount on cop-killers!

All speling macroizated for correctitood by Mcrosotf Speelchek.

*** Please stand by for further orders from The Leader ***